The Jacket
by AstonishedOwl
Summary: After they're captured by the Equalists, Mako and Korra are thrown into a cell together. Korra needs clothes. Mako is a gentleman, but mostly a teenage boy.
1. Chapter 1

I couldn't resist. Contains fluff. Generic summary, go!

Summary: After they're captured by the Equalists, Mako and Korra are thrown into a cell together. Korra needs clothes. Mako is a gentleman (but mostly a teenage boy).

* * *

Mako has no idea how long he's been stuck in this dark, damp, chilly, barely-a-cell. All he knows is that he's so far underground, he can barely sense the sun. Part of him wonders if he's just imagining it.

After he woke up, he had busied himself for the first few hours of his imprisonment by running his hands over the cool walls of his prison, becoming increasingly frustrated as the earth and stone revealed no faults he could exploit. He had even summoned the smallest, steadiest flame he could muster, holding his breath in the hopes that it would flicker in a breeze and reveal a hidden shaft to the surface.

Eventually, he keeps track of time by scratching marks into the dirt every time the masked guard cracks open the windowless steel door and slide in his food. The unhelpfully logical part of his brain wonders if they change when they bring him food, to further muddle his sense of time.

Mako lets out an impatient puff of air, his lips tightly pursed, and brings his thoughts back under control.

* * *

It had been a few days (he keeps his thoughts firmly on track this time) since he, Korra, and Bolin had gone chasing after the Equalist. Mako hates to admit it, but the ambush was very well planned. Korra's tendency to rush into action herself had been noted, despite Beifong's repeated orders to wait for the police.

As soon as she heard the scuffle and cries for help in a nearby alley, she was off like a shot, leaving Mako and Bolin to catch up. They made up some distance when she paused for the old man to point out the direction the thief had gone, but then she was racing down the labyrinth of side streets of Republic City.

He should have realized that something was off when he looked back, and the old man was nowhere in sight.

She had at least remembered their lectures on the dangers of getting lost in the city. The trail of deep, earthbent footprints she left at every fork in the road led the brothers deeper and deeper into the city

The further they went, the fewer people they saw. Mako suddenly recognized the area. He and Bolin had squatted in one of the abandoned houses, before the dried-up wells had forced them to move and -–

Bolin's strangled cry behind him made him jerk his head around and skid to a halt. A masked man was darting back from his brother, who crumpled to the ground. Mako started sprinting towards Bolin, when he heard Korra scream from an alleyway to his left. His breath caught as he saw her pinned to the ground by half a dozen figures. Another dashed in and struck her chi points, and gasped and went limp in shock.

His mind went blank, and time seems to slow as he struggled to decide whether to run to his brother or his teammate? The most important person to the world or to him -

The choice was stripped from him as he felt sudden, sharp jabs at his back. He gasped at the abrupt cold as his inner flame extinguished, and a brief pain at the back of his head was last thing he knew before everything went black.

* * *

Mako stubbornly keeps at his meditation. He tries to make a list of those who would realize the three were missing. It's hopelessly short.

Toza might get worried, though he would probably just end up punishing his equipment more than usual.

Korra would get more attention than two struggling pro-benders. Tenzin would notice that Korra had disappeared for longer than usual. Beifong might even realize that the city was too quiet.

And they were lucky, one of them might even follow the trail that Korra had left. Assuming, of course, that none of the Earthbender city beautifiers had actually come by and cleaned up the old section of town. From there… maybe someone had seen the Equalists. They might even be willing to talk to the police. And then the police would have to track them down, fight the Equalists, and rescue the three hostages.

It was possible. Mako had pulled through worse odds of survival.

* * *

A ruckus outside of his cell jerks him out of his trance. He jumps to his feet, and then blinks at the sudden light as the heavy metal door swings open. He can't quite recognize the silhouette of the person that's been shoved into the cell, until a familiar voice spits curses at the guard who has shoved her inside.

Mako's eyes adjust just in time to catch familiar bare shoulders and a bare back – wait, what? – before the door slams shut once more, and the room is once again plunged into darkness.

"Korra!" the relief in his voice is palpable as he moves toward her. Her faint outline stiffens, and she quickly moves away from him. Mako pauses, confused. She's usually such an obnoxiously physical person, yanking the brothers by their collars for hugs whenever they win a match or even when she out-smarts Beifong. What's changed? A sudden dread settles over him. "Are you hurt?"

A mirthless snort of laughter comes from somewhere to his left, and he turns face where the sound came from. "No. They won't hurt me. They don't want to bruise me."

"Then what's —"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Have you figured a way out?"

He's confused by the sudden change in subject, but complies. "…No. Not yet. They've got it pretty well sealed-off."

He expects grumbling, but there's just a bitter sigh. He feels his way back to his wall, and slides to the floor. He hears her come over too, and can see her dim outline settle into a crouch, not sitting down.

That's strange. Korra plops down and invades personal space.

He shoves the thought back. "Have you seen Bolin?" He can't hide the desperation in his voice.

"No, but he's fine," she reassures him.

He sags in relief, and then stiffens in confusion as she continues. "They won't hurt any of us. They don't want martyrs, they want us 'on their side.'"

"'On their side'? How?"

"They want us to see what it's like to be without bending. They keep taking mine away."

They do? But he can firebend. The chi-block wore off a while ago. He's puzzled, until he realizes that a firebender underground isn't much of a threat. He's practically helpless.

At least there's one thing he can do. "Here, let's have some light, at least." He snaps a flame into existence- "NO!"

Only to have Korra's hand cover his and extinguish the fire before it even steadies.

"No no no, no, I'm good with the dark. Don't worry. I'm good."

"But-"

"No! It's just - uh - you need to save your energy. Just in case, y'know - I mean, it's better if they don't know that you've got your bending?"

"Oh." Mako's hand feels colder when Korra finally removes her hand. It's quiet for a while after that.

Mako doesn't mind silence, but when Korra doesn't say another word for the longest time, he starts getting worried, despite himself.

He wonders if she's worried too, and his gut clenches.

He tries to imagine what Bolin would say. Bolin, who has all the smoothness and charisma that his brother lacks. He's suddenly overcome with worry again, but forces it down and cautiously reaches out to pat Korra's knee.

"Hey, it's — uh— " he starts, wincing at his awkwardness. "It's gonna be alri—"

Wait.

He's feeling bare skin under his hand, and Korra is tensing up even more.

The pause settles like a heavy weight. "Did they take your — your boots, Korra?"

He desperately hopes that they did. He hopes that she is not sitting there, completely –

"The boots, and everything else. Yeah."

Bolin's countless, unwanted lessons on how to be a _gentleman_ are what unfreeze his limbs, and his arms are somehow fumbling out of his jacket as his mind is frozen in shock.

"Here," is all he can manage as he gracelessly shoves the jacket towards Korra. He can hear her noise of surprise, and expects her to refuse, since she's from the _Water Tribes_ and she's heckled him before on how she's _taken baths in weather colder than —_

No. Stop. Don't think about it.

She takes the jacket with a murmur of thanks, and he can hear her shifting around to put it on.

She chuckles weakly. "I thought your shoulders were punier than mine, but it fits."

If Korra can make fun of him, she's okay. He relaxes minutely.

He hears her fumbling with the fasteners, before giving up and just pulling it closed around her. "Well, it fits well enough, at least. Thanks."

Well enough? But her shoulders are smaller than his, so – oh.

_Oh._

As his face heats up, he is once again desperately thankful for the darkness.

"Y-you're welcome," he somehow chokes out.

It's alright. He can do this. It's better to have two people trying to figure out how to escape. They're going to break out, they're going to find Bolin, and they're going to escape. It'll be easy. He can absolutely do it.

He hears her moving next to him, adjusting the jacket.

"Glad your jacket is so long, too. The floor's kinda cold."

His scratches on the wall are useless. These are going to be the longest days of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

_TWENTY ALERTS IN TWO DAYS YOU GUYS AUUUUUUGH_

Okay. Fine. You get another chapter.

* * *

Mako can't sleep.

He's lying on his side, and it's been hours since Korra was thrown into the cell with him. His stomach tells him that their captors are late with their evening meal, so he's dutifully placed another scratch on the wall, anyway.

And now, there's nothing to do but try to sleep. Korra's been silent since he gave her his jacket, and without any light to see, he has no idea if she's drifted off or if she just isn't in a mood to talk. Not that he can blame her. What's there to talk about? Their situation hasn't changed at all, so there's nothing that they can do.

He hates being so useless.

Even though too much time has passed for a conversation to be anything but horribly awkward, he finds himself trying to think of something to say. Once again, he misses his brother. Mako doesn't like talking to people if he doesn't need to. He knows it's a problem, especially since sponsors come from interviews, and reporters are always eager to talk to the upcoming, out-of-nowhere Fire Ferrets; he just can't force himself to smile and play nice if he doesn't want to.

He's lucky he has Bolin. They wouldn't have made it this far if his brother wasn't such a charmer, flirting with reporters, and dragging his scowling brother into photo ops. Bolin insisted that girls went crazy over the pictures, and though Mako hated the frivolous showcasing, it kept them fed. That's all that mattered. He would do it if it helped Bolin.

He sighs and rolled over onto his back.

He jumps when Korra speaks up next to him.

"Can't sleep either?"

Mako sighs again and sits up. "No. Have you been up this whole time?"

"Yeah. Thinking. You too?"

"…Yeah."

"About what?"

Mako hesitates. He usually doesn't like to talk about himself, but she actually sounds interested…

"Bolin. I'm..."

"…Don't be worried. Like I said, they're just trying to get us on their side right now-"

"_And then what?"_ He can't help it. "_We're _benders_, Korra. What happens when they realize that it would just be easier to kill us?"_

Her voice is hard. "That won't happen."

"_How do you know that?_ "

"Because someone will come! Look, I hate being helpless, but we've got Tenzin and Naga! They'll come looking!"

"Looking for _you._ Not for me and Bolin."

"_Yeah_, because I'm _totally_ gonna leave you guys behind."

It slips out before he can catch himself. "Everyone else does."

During the silence that follows, Mako mentally calls himself seven kinds of idiot. He doesn't want her to pity him. People always look at him differently once they know, and he can't stand it. For some reason, he doesn't want _her_ to think he is less than others, when he's worked so hard-

"…Well, what about a girlfriend?" she says hesitantly. He can tell she's avoiding the ten-ton flying bison in the room, and stays stubbornly silent.

She carefully presses on. "I mean, I'm sure Bolin has got _someone_ … "

Mako snorts, despite himself. "… He's got his fanclub."

He can hear the smile in her voice. "Well, that's _plenty_ of someones, then."

"What about you?" she asks after a short pause.

_Oh spirits, no_. "What about me?"

_Don't ask, don't ask..._

"Girlfriend. You? Yes or no?"

_Damn._

He mumbles some sort of response.

"What was that?"

"No, okay?"

"_Really?_ I mean, I thought you'd be covered in girls, too. You've _had_ a girlfriend though, right?"

"Of course I have!"

"Well, what was her name?"

"K- Ka…la. Kala."

"Tui and _La, _you're a terrible liar."

"I am _not!_"

"So wait, you've _never _seen …a pair before?"

_Wait. She's not talking about…_

"….You know, the girls."

_Dear spirits, she is_. Mako tries to speak, but his mouth is suddenly as dry as a bone, and his reply is an inaudible squeak.

In the meantime, Korra is delicately trying to help him out.

"… Melon-Pears? … Rib War-Balloons? … "

With each variation, Mako is reminded that there are some very nice, very ample, very Korra -

" … The Boulders… "

- less than two feet away from him. His hands twitch. _Down, boy._

" …Sato-Mobile headlights - never heard of that one before I came here, actually… "

Her euphemisms just don't end. How does someone growing up on _the_ _tundra_ know so many names for -

"_Boobies_, Mako."

Far too late, he finds his voice and squawks out "_I know what you're talking about, okay?"_

_"_Aw, I was getting to the dirty ones."

Right then, the door swings open again, and Mako leaps to his feet, standing protectively in front of Korra.

After a moment, she jumps up and stands right beside him, chin high, arms akimbo, not caring that she is only barely covered by the jacket.

The guard chuckles.

"Come on, firebender. Your turn."

* * *

Since I've never written anything that would even need a cliffhanger, I'm happy I finally get a chance to write one. Thanks, guys, it's all because of you! :D


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: 135 alerts and 75 faves. I love you guys. Made this section extra-long, just for you.

And just an epilogue left! Thanks so for helping out with the survey, we got over 80 participants in 3 days. You guys _get things done!_

__Part 3, as promised!

* * *

"Come on, firebender. Your turn."

Mako's eyes narrow at the Equalist.

He folds his arms and gives no indication of moving, until Korra brushes his arm.

"You'll be safe. They just want to talk."

Her next words are nearly inaudible under the Equalist's annoyed "_Now,_ firebender!"

"I've got an idea."

Mako's mouth purses, before he's struck by a sudden thought.

He unwinds his scarf and unceremoniously pushes the bundle at Korra. "Keep it safe."

She blinks in surprise and opens her mouth, but the Equalist has lost patience and drags Mako outside by the arm.

A chi-blocker darts out from behind the door as soon as it swings shut with a solid clang, and removes his bending once again.

As he's gritting his teeth against the weakness in his limbs, another guard appears and starts removing his clothes. He fights the urge to snarl at them and make their jobs as difficult as possible.

He's not a rabid possum-dog. He's better than that. Instead, he lifts his chin and gazes coldly ahead, despite barely being able to stand.

The Equalists march him forward, and the ground is cold under his bare feet. After turning down a maze of corridors, they reach a door, and the Equalists let him go. Mako contemplates escape for a second, but one's already opened the door, and the others are standing too closely behind him to make a break for it. He walks into the room, instead.

The room is small and utilitarian. The walls are concrete, covered with wall hangings, and there's a desk and two chairs in the middle of the room. A man is inspecting a wall hanging, and turns around when Mako enters.

"Hello, Mako. I'm the Lieutenant. The others didn't treat you roughly, I hope?"

Mako doesn't answer, and the man sighs and sits down, gesturing at the other chair. "Nevermind. Would you like to take a seat?"

It's childish, and Mako knows it, but he walks over to a wall and leans against a hanging. The rough material itches against his back and rear, but it's worth it. Mako suppresses a smirk as the man's mouth - all that's visible of his face - tightens.

"Have it your way." The Lieutenant stands up as well and picks up a sheaf of papers on the desk.

"Your brother is alright, by the way. Thought you'd like to know."

Mako represses a relieved sigh, but his face softens. _Thank the spirits._

"I'm sure you're already angry with us already, so I'll get to the point."

The Lieutenant turns to face Mako. "Our objective is equality. To obtain this, we want to show you how non-benders live."

"Naked?" Mako cuts in dryly.

The Lieutenant's mouth twitches up in a one-sided smile.

"Not that literally. I'll get to that in a minute"

He starts slowly pacing the room.

"Bending is a great power, as you know. But it's also a weapon. A normal person wouldn't trust someone roaming the streets with a drawn sword, yet benders can blend in with a crowd and be just as dangerous. How can we be sure we're safe?"

"Well, normal people usually don't go on a rampage." It was a rhetorical question, but Mako's feeling snarky.

"The Avatar did, didn't she? As soon as she arrived, she began destroying public property with her bending."

"She was trying to help those who were using bending for crime. Aren't you happy? Benders got rid of other benders for you. Non-benders didn't get involved."

The Lieutenant stops pacing and faces Mako.

"But they did. Buildings were destroyed. People might have gotten hurt. Do you know how much it hurts a livelihood to have to repair this sort of unwarranted, unexpected damage?

"Quite simply, if non-benders go on a rampage, there isn't nearly as much damage. We simply can't cause the scale of destruction that you can cause, with a careless movement - "

Mako can't contain his irritation. "Well, that's why we're_ trained_. I know that fire can get out of control. Benders respect their element."

"But how many benders can get access to good training? And what if they ignore it?"

The Lieutenant pauses, and lays the papers on the desk.

"In fact, I hear you and your brother went a long time without training."

Mako stiffens.

"Yes. We know about you and your brother. Your story is popular. Congratulations on your success, by the way. But what about those who can't bend? There's no pro-bending for them, is there? There's no way for them to escape the streets -"

"_So you want to doom those who _could _survive?_" Mako snarls. It had been very close, at times. "You want to take away the fire that kept us from freezing to death?"

"What about those who didn't make it? Is there any justice for them? Even when you were at your lowest, you were _still _in a better position than non-benders!"

The Lieutenant pauses for a second.

"We want to create a just world. One where we can live and die as equals."

He waits politely for Mako to respond, but he can't. No matter how civil the man appears, his ideas are dangerous. Mako hates to acknowledge the ring of truth in his words.

The man begins pacing again "You are at an unfair advantage, as benders. Because of your power, there are those who profit from bullying non-benders. Those who trample on our dignity, when purely random fortune gave them powers that we do not possess."

He comes to stand in front of Mako. "Your kind takes our dignity. We want you to understand how it dehumanizes us. That's why we have stripped you of your bending and your clothes."

Mako feels his face hardening, and his hands fisting. His voice is low and dangerous.

"_Is that all you did to Korra_?" he demands.

The implication is clear to the Lieutenant, and his face twists into a look of infuriated disgust.

"_We are not monsters!"_ he snarls.

Mako's eyes widen, taken aback by the virulent response. The Equalist turns around and steps away. He takes a second to compose himself, and speaks, without turning around.

"We … do not stoop those levels."

Facing Mako once more, he continues.

"We are fighting for equality. Values. We are no better than benders if we mindlessly take what is not ours."

Mako can't speak, shocked by the depth of belief evident in the man's tone. His heart slowly sinks.

This conflict wasn't just Equalists and benders fighting each other. It was a war about ideas and beliefs.

Republic City would not see peace for a long time.

The Lieutenant gazes at him, face unreadable.

"Thank you for your time. We will return you to your friends."

* * *

As Mako is once again escorted to the cell, his mind is whirling with questions, but he suppresses them. _That's something for another time_, he tells himself, and focuses on the task at hand.

When the door swings open, Mako is prepared.

"DUCK!"

Mako hits the floor as Bolin rushes out of the cell, and his right hook connects solidly with the Equalist's jaw.

The other two guards flinch back, and Mako takes advantage of the opening. Still on the ground, he tangles his legs with the nearer guard to send him crashing to the floor, as Korra leaps over him. Her double-footed kick connects with the last guard's chest, and he's knocked to the ground, unconscious.

When Mako gets to his feet and turns around, Korra's already facing him, her skin flushed darker than normal. She's holding his scarf out to him, carefully positioned between her line of sight and his -

Oh.

"We're escaping. You might want to cover up."

He accepts the scarf, tying it awkwardly around his waist like a towel. _That's going to be washed as soon as I get back_.

He looks up in time to catch Korra's approving gaze, before Bolin claps him on the shoulder.

"Yep! Seriously, you don't put two master planners in the same cell together."

He grins, and continues in a stage whisper. "Korra was _woooorried _about you."

Korra strides over and punches Bolin in the arm. "Shut up, idiot."

Mako can't contain a grin, and then a groan as he finally realizes something.

"Bolin."

"What?"

"Put on some pants."

* * *

As they run through the hallways (Korra awkwardly holding the jacket closed, Bolin adjusting the stolen pants, and Mako desperately trying to keep the scarf from slipping), Mako is surprised that there isn't any resistance. He can feel his bending coming back, and when Korra yanks the tea out of an abandoned kettle as they run by, the fragrant water hovering beside her as a deadly weapon, he knows that the others have, too.

He stops wondering why the Equalists are so sloppy as they dash up the stairs, turn the corner, and are suddenly blinking in the watery morning light.

It's chaos.

Lin Beifong's voice rises above the confusion, as she snaps orders to her metalbenders. The Chief herself is holding off five Equalists at once, keeping them at bay with her whirling, snapping chains. She vaults two into the air at once with a well-placed stomp, pivoting under an outstretched arm and finally exiting the clump.

A bruising wave catches four more Equalists in the gut, throwing them back a full city block. Toza is swearing up a storm as he sends bursts of water to pummel another group, who desperately dash away from the old bender's bone-shattering attacks.

Others are flying into the air as Tenzin blasts them back, his robes swirling and fluttering grandly as he pivots and rushes past Equalists and metalbenders.

He suddenly catches sight of the three teenagers, standing openmouthed and barely-clothed by the door.

"Lin!" he shouts, "They're safe!"

Beifong yells back an acknowledgment, then orders her metalbenders to move from attack to defense.

Tenzin is hurrying towards them, and as soon as he reaches them, he tries to bustle them away. Mako stares at the airbender as he throws a protective arm in front of the three, his back facing them as his eyes narrow to watch for approaching danger.

"It's not safe here! We have to get you out of here."

"Actually, I think it is, "Korra interjects, peering under his arm.

It's true. The Equalists are fleeing. Those groaning on the ground are swiftly carried away by their allies, as Beifong orders her police to try to capture at least_ some _prisoners.

Soon, the street is clear. The only signs that there's been a fight are the torn-up street and confused metalbenders being ordered into rank by an irritated Chief of Police.

Mako's confused thoughts are interrupted as Toza stalks up to him, and grabs him and Bolin by their ears, and sends them stumbling toward him.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU KIDS THINKING?" he bellows in their faces. "DISAPPEARING LIKE THAT?"

Mako can't breathe. He's used to Toza's after-workout stench, but this is far too close, and Toza is far too pungent.

The pro-bender snarls, and thumps the brother's heads together. He releases them, pointing a threatening finger.

"Pre-dawn practice tomorrow. I'll have your hides if you two don't show up."

Mako stares at Toza as he stomps away, his limp more pronounced due to the recent battle.

"I guess we kinda deserved that," Bolin admits, rubbing his ear.

Then they're suddenly enfolded in cloth as Tenzin pulls Mako and Bolin into a hug. Korra's already there.

"Thanks the spirits you all are safe." Squashed against the airbender's chest, Mako can feel the rumble of Tenzin's voice. Mako's heart twists a bit at the warmth of the protective tone, but he presses the feeling down.

Lin's voice cuts through the air.

"Let's get out of here. The Avatar in her underwear is NOT something I want the press to get a picture of."

* * *

Thanks for reading!

A note about Toza: I'm sure we'll find out later, but I'm fairly certain he's a waterbender. When he's throwing around his weights in episode two, he's using waterbending forms, and you can hear the weights swishing around.

I know I said I'd have it up by Friday, so sorry I'm 30 minutes late. Today was the due date for a whole mess of study abroad stuff. I'll either be in Edinburgh or Oxford by next fall, so I think it's worth it~


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